Papo & Yo

One of my favorite new developers in the games industry could be keeping themselves busy for quite some time based on some preliminary details that have just surfaced.

After starting off strong and wowing gamers, and the industry alike, with the release of Papo & Yo last year on the PlayStation Network, the team at Minority Media are hard at work on several new projects which once again maintain the mantra of originality the studio has become known for.

One of 2012’s main GOTY candidates now has a release date and a much sought after price confirmation. No, I’m not talking about Halo 4 or some other major triple-A franchise game but am instead referring to the ever amazing Papo & Yo. Since being unveiled last year the game hasn’t had a release window but now Sony has announced that the game will be made available on the PlayStation Network next month.

Seeing a game continuously at certain tradeshow events can both be good and bad for a few key reasons. Whenever I get a chance to see a game months if not a year ahead of its ultimate release I of course feel fortunate since I’m witnessing something not a lot of people get a peek at. But at the same time seeing an early/advanced preview of a game can be disappointing if the same problems are present or even worse if the same demo build is at multiple events, thus igniting a feeling that progress isn’t being made or the involved parties are being overly cautious.

If there’s one game I’m overly excited about and will openly preach to the choir it has to be Papo & Yo. Coming out exclusively for the PlayStation Network, Papo & Yo is one of those rare games which is unique but isn’t too artsy to the point where it’s flat out annoying or has gameplay that is wafer thin in the depth it offers. With a unique style that melds realism with a fantasy world imagined by children, Papo & Yo is also one of those rare games that is providing a rather heavy narrative with a gameplay experience we can all enjoy.

As a gamer I want to see video games take me to new worlds with entirely new experiences, characters, and gameplay elements. Sometimes such a thing does occur and I’m blown away but more often than not we receive the same old stuff, whether it’s in the FPS or 3rd person action genres.

Last year I saw a great many games at E3 but one that impressed me a lot was Papo & Yo, a PSN exclusive indie game from developer Minority. Announced before E3 kicked off, Papo & Yo immediately had my interest since it looked unique visually and the plot of the game served as an allegory of sorts for a child dealing with an abusing parent, represented in the game through the sometimes friendly but sometimes vicious Monster.

Back in the day the San Diego Comic Con used to be an event that primarily focused on comic books with the occasional appearance by a high-profile movie, which in some cases was based on a comic book. But these days the San Diego Comic Con has grown to become a huge pop culture/geek heaven mega-event that includes panels for a ton of TV shows, genre films and of course video games.

Sony is once again showing that they get what gamers want as they’re committing a hefty amount of cash to their indie driven Pub Fund. Originally started in 2009, Sony’s Pub Fund initiative involves aiding indie developers (which is a cause I can get behind) to release their titles on the PlayStation Network. Since promoting and releasing games isn’t an easy or cheap thing to do, Sony is putting up $20 million spread over the next three years to support indie developers to release their games on the PlayStation Network.

It’s always good to see indie developers put their best foot forward, but sometimes the end product can either be a simple new coat of paint added to an existing concept or a slightly self-righteous experience that makes no sense. So far the PlayStation Network has been a good home for indie developers as the collection of games that have been offered have found a good balance between being overly artsy and simply fun to play. With E3 almost upon us, some new PSN announcements have been made, the most intriguing of which is Papo & Yo.